confirmes the same unto us by a strong and invincible demonstration saying If God spared not his own Son but when we were sinners gave him to death to justifie us how much more being now justified will he with him give us freely all things also Rom. 8. 32. The uses that we must make Rom. 8. 32. of this perfect reconciliation brought upon us freely by Christ are these two First we must soundy trust to and set our affiance 1 Two uses of our perfect reconciliation on this reconciliation procured unto us by Christ as Peter saith Cast your care upon God for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. That is we must yeeld up our selves as Abraham 1 Pet. 5. 7. did to doe our vocations and all our affaires and actions that we take in hand faithfully and as God would have us to doe them that is to seek his glory by benefiting of men and so we walk in the steps of the faith of our Father Abraham Rom. 4. 11. and doe Rom. 4. 11. the works of Abraham through full assurance that his Almighty power is able and this loving care over us procured by this perfect reconciliation also will without any bad meanes of ours both keep away from us all hurtfull things and provide unto us without our distrustfull cark and care all necessary good things saying in strong assurance of free Justification making us perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely That wee are perswaded though some crosses doe crosse us that neither tribulation nor distresse nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor death nor life nor any creature shall separate us from the assurance of the love of God and perfect reconciliation that is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 35. Whereupon the Author to Rom. 8. 35. the Hebrewes exhorteth after this manner saying Let your conversation bee without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that wee may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man can doe unto me Heb. 13. 5. 6. And so farre as we doe Heb. 13. 5. 6. so we give both to God and to Christ their due glory to God the glory of power and to Christ the glory of his merit of reconciliation And secondly In confidence of Free Justification so The second use of our perfect reconcilâ—ation assuredly reconciling us to God wee must expect and look for at his hands and certainly promise to our selves all blessings temporall and eternall as Luther upon the voyce of God from heaven That hee is well-pleased effectually expresseth after manner Exigit itaque à nobis c. God requires of us therefore that we expect and promise to our selves from him the best things and that wee perswade our selves that hee is of a most loving and ready good-will to doe us all good and therefore to pray for and expect at Gods hands summa saluberrima the principall and most profitable good things in a strong confidence in this perfect reconciliation and in a fulnesse of faith nothing fearing at all any thing that goes about to make us afraid molest make us sad or to work any trouble against us For feare not Abram saith God I am thy Buckler and exceeding great reward Gen. 15. 1. Whereby wee have Gen. 15. 1. accesse by prayer unto God and entrance to obtain with boldnesse and confidence through faith in Christ perfectly Justifying us and thereby perfectly reconciling us Ephes 3. 12. The fearfull danger of departing from our justification and reconciliation Psal 73. 27. to God Ephes 3. 12. But if we doe not thus but follow indirect meanes and bad courses to help our selves wee goe a whoring from God by the dead faith and hee will destroy us as it is said Psal 73. 27. For lo they which withdraw themselves from thee shall perish thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring But so farre as wee resign up our selves to assurance and affiance in this perfect reconciliation we with Abraham Isaac Iacok Ioseph David Daniel all the rest of Gods faithful children that have beleeved and relyed upon this joyfull and well pleasing reconciliation shall have as they had both the very Best for us and at length also our very hearts desires And therefore saith David As for me it is good for mee to draw neere to God therefore I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all thy works Ps 73. 28. That I may shew Psal 73. 28. all thy praises in the Gates of the Daughter of Zion and may rejoyce in thy reconciliation proteâ—tion and salvation Psal Psal 9. 14. 9. 14. And thus much of the first excellent benefit of the Gospel brought upon us by free Justification in which because I have been loath as it were to be drawne out of this new Paradise purchased by the blood of Christ I have stayed the longer but let the weightinesse of the point recompence the length because as David truly saith this loving favour of the Lord is better than life it selfe Psal 63. 3. But now let Psal 63. 3. us proceed forward CHAP. XV. Of foure other excellent benefits wrought upon us by Free Iustification THE second excellent and glorious benefit brought upon us by Justification Is that the The giving of the holy Ghost holy Ghost is by it freely given us to dwell in us and our bodies and soules are made blessed Temples of the same holy Spirit as is evident by these Scriptures Be baptized saith Peter Acts 2. 38. every one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of Acts 2. 38. sinnes and you shall receive the holy Ghost for the promise is made unto you and your children Where we see that although the holy Ghost be true God and the only preparer of our hearts both to see our misery by sin as also to see and apprehend Christ and his benefits to free us from our misery yet notwithstanding he doth not come to dwell in us and to take up our bodies and soules to be his Temples untill first hee hath enabled us to beleeve free Iustification and prepared us as it were for himselfe by sealing it unto us by Baptisme as most sure that the blood of Christ hath washed us cleane from all sin in the sight of God before he doe enter into us and dwell in us The same also Paul testifieth Ephes 1. 13. saying In whom ye also Ephes 1. 13. have trusted after yee heard the word of truth what word of truth was that namely that by the blood of Christ yee are freely made righteous accepted and adopted vers 4 5 6 7. even the Gospel of joyfull newes of your salvation Verse 4 5 6 7. wherein also after mark the word after yee beleeved First justified and then sealed with the spirit of Sanctification
to dwell in them But now concerning the excellency of this wonderfull gift brought upon us only by Free Iustification who is The glory of this gift is inexplicable able either of men or Angels to lay forth the glory of it For is not the holy Ghost true and very God that takes up our bodies souls to be his blessed Temples Was it not this blessed Spirit that wonderfully governed the Patriarks Was it not he that inspired all the Prophets as Peter testifieth saith These holy Prophets spak as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. 2 Pet. 1. 21. Was not his power wonderfully shewed and was hee not a mighty worker when he formed the humane nature of our Saviour Christ to bee conceived and born of a pure Virgin Shewing that where the holy Ghost worketh there nothing is impossible Is it not hee only that regenerateth a man and makes him a new born creature both towards God by Iustification and towards man by Sanctification Or can any man worthily lay forth the glory of a new creature by the holy Ghost Are not his gifts excellent and marvellous which hee worketh in whom hee will and as he will described 1 Cor. 12. And finally must 1 Cor. 12. not Iustification needs bee a glorious and wonderfull work that bringeth so wonderfull a benefit upon us and can people heare and read and meditate Free Iustification sufficiently that doth enrich us so heavenly And if there were no more Reasons why Ministers after our misery by sinne laid open should continually beat upon the greatnesse and excellency and glory of Free Iustification to work the joyfull and violent receiving oâ—â—â— by faith that brings with it unseparably and unfallibly so precious a gift as the holy Ghost to dwell in us were not this sufficient Is not the gift of the holy Ghost all in all The third excellent benefit of the Gospel wrought 3 Vnion into Christ upon us by Free Iustification is our wonderfull Vnion into Christ whereby wee are by the power of the holy Ghost though mystically and spiritually yet truly really and substantially so ingraffed and united into Christ that wee are made one with him and he one with us For first that this wonderfull Vnion is not a thing in meer imagination no nor consisting in meer charity love and affection only but is a true reall This union is not imaginary but reall and substantiall Vnion Is evident both by the expresse Word of God and unanimous consent of Gods faithfull Dispensers of his Mysteryes both ancient and modern For first the Word of God in that excellent prayer that Christ made for all the faithfull Ioh. 17. Ioh. 17. 20 21 22 23. 20 21 22 23. saith thus I pray not for these alone but for all them also which shall believe in me through their Word Well what doth he pray for That they all may be one How one As thou O Father art in me and I in thee Can men or Angels lay open or sufficiently conceive either the wonderfulnesse or how really and substantially Christ as hee is God is one with his Father And yet even so are we by this Union One We by this union are one with Christ with Christ as he is Man and our Mediatour and thereby knit into God as Christ saith That they may be also one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me that the greatnesse and wonderfulnesse of this work may declare that none but the Son of God sent of his Father to effect it could otherwise bring it ot passe And the glory saith hee which thou hast given to me I have given them that by this meanes also they may discern the greatnesse of this Union That they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in mee that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Can possibly the understanding of man conceive a more absolute and perfect union with all the circumstances of the same than is here described But to shew yet further how true reall and substantiall this Union is cleere is the testimony of Paul Ephes 5. 31. saying For we are members of his body of his flesh Ephes 5. 31. and of his bones Certainly nothing can bee more reall and substantiall than such a Union Whereupon learned Zanchius in that excellent Treatise upon Zanch. upon Ephes 5. 30. Ephes 5. 30. concerning the Union betwixt Christ and his Church reproving them that hold that our Union is no otherwise true and reall than because we partake of the spirituall gifts and graces of Christ sets down this Thesis or position confirming the same both by Scripture and consent of the Ancient Writers namely that Vnio nostricum Christo Christi nobiscum essentialis ac substantialis est vera atque realis That is The Union of us with Christ and of Christ with us Our union with Christ is first substantiall is essentiall and substantiall true and reall First substantiall saith he because the substances themselves of the flesh of Christ and of our flesh both of the person of Christ and of our persons are united together and so not the fruit and graces only of Christ are received seeing they cannot bee received but by partaking of the substance it selfe of Christ Secondly I call it true and reall saith hee because we are not Secondly true and reall in bare imagination but reipsa in very deed united into Christ and being united although non Physico sed spirituali supernaturali modo not by a naturall but a spirituall and supernaturall manner wee grow more and more into one body with Christ But that we may dive more deeply into this most excellent glory of our Union into Christ Let us mark that the holy Ghost which effectually sheweth the power of his God-head in working this benefit upon us to expresse the substantiallnesse and reallnesse and wonderfull closnesse of it doth use six principall similitudes in Six similitudes used to express the realnesse of this union the Word of God to shew to our weak capacities the great glory of it That as S. Paul speaketh passeth knowledge The first and furtherest off similitude is That the justified person being cloathed with the righteousness of Christ hath thereby put on Christ as a man puts on and is cloathed with his own apparell As S. Paul speaketh Gal. 3. 27. saying All yee that are baptized into Gal. 3. 27. Christ thereby sealing up unto you your Justification have put on Christ namely as the originall Word imports as a man puts on and is cloathed with his apparell Whereby as old Isaac in the weaknesse and infirmity of his old age took Iacob for Esau in Esaus apparell so doth God in the virtue and strength of this our wonderful union into Christ take
axiome in true Religion that bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur Iustificatum that is good works of prayer or any such like doe not goe before a man be justified but they follow after a man is before justified Whereupon Luther agreeing with Austin Captivitate Patylonica Tom 2. pag. 71. b. saith promissio Dei non impletur orando sed solùm credendo Credentes autem oramus quodlibet opus bonum facimus that is the promise of God justifying us is not fulfilled by praying but only believing but when wee beleeve then wee pray and doe any other good work And thus as I said at the first have I handled this point the more fully because it is exceeding weighty THe third Reason objected is this The holy Ghost Third Reason Objected is God and shewes us our sinnes and shall not hee being God and shewing us our sins much more know and see sin in his justified children ergo the children of God are not made by Christs wedding-garment so perfectly holy and righteous that they have not one spot or wrinkle in the sight of God freely To which I answer that the holy Ghost being true Answ God knowes the sins of all men infinitely more perfectly than they themselves doe but in his justified children sees them abolished for although men themselves know something of sinne and of the wages thereof which is death by the light of nature whereby they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 20 31. 2. 14. 15. Rom. 1. 20. 31. 2. 14. 15. Yet none comes to know and see them rightly and effectually except the holy Ghost doe shew them their sins But to shew his children their sins he useth two glasses and puts them into the hands of his Ministers for that purpose the one is the glasse of the Law the other is the glasse of the Gospel Now whilst his children are unconverted the holy A twofold representation of sinne Ghost both knowes their sins and also sees them in them and wills his Ministers to hold out unto such constantly the glasse of the Law that they may see the Leprous faces of their soules in the same wherewith the spirit working open the eyes of their conscience Gen. 3. 7. to see better then by the light of nature that Gen. 3. 7. the foulnesse of sin is so horrible that he must needs curse the creature that hath the least sin in his sight saying Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law Gal. 3. 10. Gal. 3. 10. and to see the unchangable truth of this definitive sentence that Heaven and Earth may passe away but one jot or tittle of this sentence cannot passe untill it is fulfilled and to see the horriblenesse of Gods curse due to the least sin thus the holy Ghost shewes us our sins whereby they begin to see their Leprosie to bee very foule and their miserie most fearefull for one sinne much more for many sinnes whereby they are so terrified and so effectually humbled that they desire nothing more between heaven and Earth than to be healed of this their deadly Leptosie and hellish poyson of the lest sin this is the holy Ghosts and not the light of natures first shewing us our sinnes Now when this first work is thus wrought then the spirit wils his Ministers to hold forth likewise constantly before their faces the glasse of the Gospel wherein they hear that nothing can heale them of their spirituall Leprosie and wofull miserie but the blood of the Son of God which they apprehending the spirit also doth by imputation cloath them with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousuesse wherewith he abolisheth first out of his own sight all their sinnes and then gives them the eye of faith whereby they also see their sins utterly abolished out of the sight of God the Father Son and holy Ghost one God blessed for ever And yet they seeing with this eye of faith no lesse image and Idea in this glasse than the gaping wounds and goared bloody side of the Son of God hanging upon the Crosse and streaming out his blood and life to wash away and abolish all their sins as they see them thus utterly abolished so the spirit shewes them hereby the horriblenesse of their abolished sin more in the blood of Christ than before when they saw them not abolished in the glasse of the Law as if a father his sonne having committed some A smile act of theft should not be content to chide beat and all to rate him saying he should be hanged and were worthy to be hanged but also lead him out strictnesse of justice so requiring and shew him a man hanging as his pledge and surety and dying for him upon the Gallowes this sight must needs pierce his affections and although it shew him his foule fault abolished yet hee sees therein the vilenesse of it more than before so although the spirit of God doe shew us in the death of Christ our sinnes abolished out of his sight yet hee maketh us thereby both to discerne in our selves and with S. Paul in the seventh to the Romans to bewaile in our feeling for the exercise of our faith those sins which before wee counted but small or no sins and to see the exceeding vilenesse of them farre more by viewing them in the blood of Christ by which they are abolished out of Gods sight than if they were still abiding in the sight of God and although the sight sense and feeling of these sins be by a greater light in the Law never so strong in their own selves as sometimes it is stronger than it should be being reâ—dy to cast the children of God down into despaire Yet as before whilst they were under the Law the spirit did by the glasse of the Law simply shew them their sins with the curse and wrath of God due to the same so now being under the Gospel and under grace he doth not simply shew them their sins as before but it is the true office and true work of the spirit to shew them their sins abolished out of Gods sight that is as hee himselfe doth see them cloathed with the wedding-garment abolishing their sin and making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God and in his own sight freely and thereby enters into them himselfe as fit Temples for himselfe to dwell in and also knits them as meet and fit members into the body of Christ so doth he open their eyes of faith to see contrary to their Reason and to their strong contrary sense and feeling that Testimonie of Christ to be true and verified in in them viz. Thou art faire my Love behold thou art all faire and there is no spot in thee Cant. 4. 1. 7. And that Cant. 4. 1. 7. this is the testimonie of the holy spirit unto the children of God under
the Gospel and that these are the things which the holy Ghost shewes unto them Christ himselfe testifies saying When the spirit of truth is come hee shall glorifie mee mark that but how or after what manner shall hee glorifie Christ it followes for hee shall take of mine namely that the blood of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God doth make us cleane in the sight of God from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Ioh. 1. 7. Ioh. 16. 14. And shall shew it unto you Ioh. 16. 14. certainly if the spirit doe not shew us this nobody will shew it us for the whole world the flesh our own sense and feeling and the Devill do all shew us the contrary but yet saith Christ when the spirit shall come he shall judge contrary to all these for he shall judge the whole world of Beleevers in my ascension of nothing but righteousnesse verse 10. Because as Luther truly saith Verse 10. upon that place In eo enim transitupeccatum in justitiam absorptum est that is in that passage of his into heaven the sinne of Beleevers is absorpted and swallowed up into righteousnesse Whereupon it followes of necessity that such preachers as blend these two glasses and intermix them and so do darken them and such people as see not that they are cleane from all sinne in the sight of God freely may justly suspect themselves to be sensuall as Iude saith not having the Spirit shewing plainely that they see no more of the foulnesse of sin then the light of nature teacheth and so did never look rightly by the spirit into the glasse of the Law to be truly touched with the foulnesse of sin it selfe Secondly they did never look rightly into the glasse of the Gospel to see themselves translated out of sin into righteousnesse and unbeliefe being blind to discern these things of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 14. as before shee went about to make God blind so now shee falsifies the witnesse of the holy Ghost saying that he testifies of â—inne the work of the Divell in the justified children of God when taking only of Christ and of his benefits and shewing them to Beleevers he testifieth only of righteousnesse Iohn 16. 10. and so glorifies Ioh. 16. 10. 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Christ and his blood 1 Iohn 1. 7. THe sourth reason objected is this The Lord by Fourth Reason objected his spirit doth mortifie our sinnes daily Rom. 8. and shall he not see those sinnes which by his spirit he doth mortifie ergo the children of God are not with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely To which I answer That as this reason doth seeme Answ most plausible to naturall reason so it is that by which these Objectors doe not only most of all delude and deceive themselves and others but also is the Papists cunningest thiefe which they use after the cleanliest manner to rob Christ of his glory against which my heart yearns But oh that it did burne more against it But that we may understand the deceit of this argument we must mark two things first that the expresse words of the Text in this objection serpent-like suppressed are these If ye that is the faithfull doe mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit Rom. 8. Rom. 8. 13. 13. Secondly we must mark that this mortifying is all one with that saying of S. Iohn And he that hath this 1 Ioh 3. 3. hope doth purifie himselfe c. And with that saying of S. Paul who although as an elect vessell to preach unto the Gentiles did most of all urge and presse free Act. 9. Iustification yet hee saith Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7 1. Now 2 Cor. 7. 1. wee must not understand that wee purifie that wee mortifie that wee cleanse our selves no not by the spirit properly to the sight of God For this is the meere and only and proper work of Christs blood and of the spirit cloathing us with Christs righteousnesse who thus alone by himselfe only purifieth us from our sins properly in the sight of God as the Apostle saith Heb. 9. 14. For if the blood of Buls and Goats sprinkling Heb 9. 14. the uncleane sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall sprit offered himselfe without spot to God purifie your conscience from dead works c. and is set downe to be one of the maine things that declare the glory of Christs â—od-head Heb. 1. 3. where among other praises Heb. 1. 3. of the power of his Godhead this is one That hee hath purified us from our sins by himselfe and therefore it is rightly said in the Doctrine of our Church taught by the first Restorers of the Gospel in this land in King Edward dayes That it is the greatest arrogancie and presumption of man that Anti-christ could set up against God to affirme that we take away that we purifie that we cleanse our own sinnes out of the the sight of God either in whole or in part But how then will some say doe we purifie and Quest cleanse our selves I answer that wee cleanse and mortifie and purifie Answ our selves only Declaratively to the sight of men that is we only declare both to our selves and to others in the way of thankfulnesse that the holy Ghost hath by cloathing us with the wedding-garment of Christs righteousnesse purified mortified cleansed and utterly abolished all our sins out of Gods sight freely Whereby the holy Ghost sees us not properly mortifying cleansing and purifying our sins out of the sight of God our selves for then hee should see us robbing Christ of that glory which his blood hath freely done before wee begin but when the wedding-garment wrought by his blood hath freely purified them out of Gods sight then the spirit we being thus first clean in his sight enters into us to dwell in us which otherwise he would not doe but being entred and dwelling in us he enables us by walking holily and righteously to avoyd and purifie out of our own sight sense and feeling and out of the sight of other men that sin which the wedding-garment hath purified and abolished before out of the sight of God and so we meerely declare before the spirit that hee himselfe and Christs righteousnesse have originally and properly cleansed and purified away and utterly abolished them out of Gods sight freely And this is that which S. Paul expresly teacheth in the sixth to the Romans for having shewed in the three next precedent Chapters how freely of unjust we are made just that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely unto naturall reason objecting that then we may live freely in sinne as we list hee answers nay that is
impossible for saith he how can wee that are dead to to sinne live yet therein That is if a man be by Justification as perfectly freed from all sinne in the sight of God as hee is freed from the traffick and businesse of this life that is dead which must needs bee if we be made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely how can such an one practise and live in sinne nay he cannot chuse but shew and declare the same by holy and righteous living to the sight of men and mortifie them to himselfe and to his own feeling as hee is by Justification dead to them in the â—ight of God And this Luther testifies very aptly saying thus Delectio bonaque tua opera delent peccatum tuum sed coram te ut tu quoque deleta sentias quae nimirum fides delet coram Deo id quod non sentis that is thy love and good works do put out and abolish thy sinnes but before thy selfe that thou mayst also feele them to be abolished which yet thy Justification only puts out before God but this being above thy sense and feeling thou dost not feele But the manner hereof the holy Ghost himselfe doth cleerly illustrate An apt similitude of a Lantern unto us by an apt similitude of a Lantern for as the Lanterne is both darke in it selfe and doth cast forth no light to abolish the darknesse round about it untill the candle be in it but when the candle is put into it then the darknesse of it is abolished and it also casteth forth light to the abolishing of the darknesse round about it and yet it is not the Lantern that puts out the darknesse properly but only the candle in the Lantern and the Lantern doth only declare by casting out beames of light the candle that properly puts out the darknesse Just so it is in the case of our Justification the children of God before and untill they bee justified are like dark Lanterns both dark in themselves and casting forth no beames by sanctification of any light to enlighten others but when the spirit of God by the hand of his Ministers hath set into their soules by the socket of faith the candle of Free Iustification then doe they cast forth the beames of Sanctification and holy walking to the abolishing of the darknesse of sinne in themselves and round about them to the enlightening of others and yet their Sanctification doth not put out the darknesse of their sins properly but doth only shew and declare the candle of Free Iustification to be in them that properly before God puts out and abolisheth all the darknesse of their sinnes by making them perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely And for the confirmation of this as in the mouth Three places places of Scripture for confirmation of two or three witnesses every word doth stand so three places of Scripture may be sufficient The first is of our Saviour Christ Mat. 5. 16. saying 1 Mâ—th 5. 16. Let your light namely of Justification which only was that that enlightened the blinde Pharisee Nicodemus Iohn 3. 14 15. so shine before men namely by Sanctification that they may see the beames of your good works and so glorifie you Father which is in heaven The second place of Scripture teaching this more 2 Ephes 5. 8. plainly is Ephes 5. 8. where the Apostle saith thus You were once darknesse there is the dark lanterne without the candle in it but now are light in the Lord mark how he saith not light in themselves but light in the Lord there is the lanterne made light with the candle of Justification set into it walk as the children of light there is Sanctification as the beames shewing and declaring that the candle of Justification is in us that only makes us light in the Lord. The third place of Scripture teaching this yet more 3 Phil. 2. 15 16 17. fully and largely is Philip. 2. 15 16 17. where the Apostle saith Be yee blamelesse and pure as the Sonnes of God without rebuke in the midst of a naughty and crooked generation but how may we doe all this thus powerfully mortifying in our selves the corrupt conversation reigning in the world by shining by Sanctification as lights and lanterns in this dark world But by what meanes may we be made such shining lanternes By holding out saith he as a lanterne doth a candle the word of life that is Free Justification by which only we live Rom. 1. 17. and therefore is Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 5. 18. expresly called the Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. the holding out of which candle of Justification is to shew and declare in the mortifying of our sinnes by Sanctification that this candle is in us that properly abolisheth our sins and makes us originally and properly blamelesse and pure as the Sonnes of God without rebuke first in the sight of God freely Colos 1. 22. Colos 1. 22. and then makes us declaratively blamelesse and pure as the Sons of God to the eyes of men unto which similitude he subjoynes the very essence of a Minister of the Gospel and the essentiall mark by which he is to bee discerned saying that if they did shew by shining like bright lanterns and declare that the candle of Justification is thus in them that only gives to Christ such great glory and to men assuredly eternall life and if they did constantly hold out this candle of the word of life for which he counted his owne holy walking of Sanctification as nothing and dung Philip. 3. 8 9. then although he were slaine upon the Phil. 3. 8 9. Altar and service of working this faith in them yet he would be glad and rejoyce with them all And this doctrine that we doe not purifie mortifie and clense our sinnes out of Gods sight but only declare that Christs blood hath truly originally and properly abolished them out of Gods sight freely the doctrine of Doctrine of our Church our Church also taught by the first restorers of the Gospel in this land doth cleerly witnesse and testifie saying good living and good works of fasting liberall almes and such mortifications of our corrupt natures doe not purifie and clense away the spots of our iniquities out of the sight of God for that were indeed to deface Christ and to defraud him of his glory But by cheerfull doing them in thankfulnesse of heart they declare openly and manifestly unto the fight of men that Christ hath washed away all our sinnes and that his blood hath purified us in the sight of God and clensed us of all the spots of our iniquities freely whereby we shew evidently that we are not hypocrites only making by a legall zeale a faire shew of good fruites like choke-pears but are in truth the Sons of God and elect of him unto salvation for it is
ever all them that are sanctified This is the onely Purgatory say these Our onely Purgatory is Christs blood first Restorers of the Gospel amongst us Where in all Christian men must put their whole trust and confidence Now that Gods imputation and spirituall cloathing with his Sonnes righteousnesse doth so really make us righteous that after the manner of the forme dat nomen esse that is it gives us both the name and being righteous although it be cleare and manifest by this former point because whatsoever is made so or so we see by dayly experience that they bee and are so called accordingly yet because it makes to the confirmation of the former point as evident effects of the truth of the former let me briefly touch this also And first that this spirituall cloathing with Christs righteousnesse doth so really make us righteous that only that gives us the name of truly just and righteous persons in the sight of God is manifest by that often repeated axiome of the Apostle The Iust by faith shall live For although some doe darken the sense both of the Prophet and of the Apostle by saying The Iust shall live by faith by joyning the word Faith to the Verb or Predicate shall live yet the true sense and meaning of the Apostle as it is in the Hebrew and Greek is that by faith should bee joyned with the subject Iust as if the Apostle had said they that are by faith made just shall live for the Apostle shewing that the righteousnesse that saves us is offered onely in the Gospel and is revealed to every one from faith to faith that is the more faith hee hath and the more it doth encrease the more hee sees and embraceth this righteousnesse that truly makes him just and righteous in the sight of God he confirmes the same by the Prophet Habakuk saying The just by faith shall live wherein he teacheth two things evidently First that it is faith only embracing and applying the righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel that makes a man just and righteous in the sight of God And Secondly that this righteousnesse not only names him just and righteous but makes him to live also a Christian godly life in this world and then to eternall glory in the world to come so that the Apostle likens this righteousnesse of the Gospel to the soule as if a Christian had two soules in him first as he is a man and secondly as he is a Christian his soule as he is a man is his naturall soule by which he lives truly only to this world but his soule as he is a Christian Christs righteousnesse is to a Christian as the soule is to the body is Christs righteousnesse that also sanctifies him and so is like the life that the soule works in the body and makes him live a godly Christian life in this world and also makes him to live unto eternall glory in the life to come And as the Physitians say that the vital spirits are they that knit and combinde the soule and body together so faith is like those vitall spirits that combinde the righteousnesse of Christ and the Christian together Whereby as the soule gives unto a man both the name and essentiall being of a man so doth the righteousnesse of Christ apprenhended by faith give unto a man both the name and essentiall being of a Christian and makes him to live the life of a Christian in this world and to live unto eternall glory in the life to come and as by reason of the Divine understanding soule made to the Image of God God is said to be neere and to dwell in us whereby as S. Paul saith Acts 17. 28. In him we live Acts 17. 28. and move and have our being and are of his generation so by reason of Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith Christ himselfe dwelleth in us saith the Apostle by this faith Eph. 3. 17. Whereby in Christ Eph. 3. 1â— wee live and move and have our being and are of his generation or off-spring that is to say Christians All which S. Paul doth testifie Gal. 2. 20. by his own Gal. 2. 20. example in the plainest words that can be saying I live not now but Christ lives in mee and in that I now live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave himselfe for mee namely to justifie me by his blood and make mee perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God freely The truth whereof Luther cleerly seeing with the spirituall eye of faith doth with as excellent a spirit testifie the same against the whole world of Papists saying This is the true meane to become a Christian even to bee justified by faith in Iesus Christ and why Because it is most true that Master Downham testifieth of Justification Downham of Iustification saying The beleever is cloathed with the most glorious robe of Christ Iesusâ— his righteousnesse and so appearing before God both clean from all sinne and endued with a perfect righteousnesse he is justified reconciled and eternally saved Now what can bee required more to make a true Christian I grant that where this is there will follow unfallibly a renewed sanctified life with zeale of Holy life maketh not but only declareth a Christian Gods glory but this makes not a Christian but consequently declares and outwardly shewes that he is already before thus freely made a Christian because he being thus clean from all sinne in the sight of God as is here described hath not only the name and imaginary counting but also the essentiall being of a person perfectly just and righteous in the sight of God freely hence it is that the children of God are called by no other name in all the Psalmes and whole word of God more commonly than by the name of the righteous Iust and Saints because they Beleevers are Saints two wayes are so two manner of wayes First they are righteous Just and Saints to God-ward by Justification And Secondly They are righteous Just and Saints to man-ward by Sanctification the first way to God-ward is perfect because otherwise it is no righteousnesse to God-ward which cannot love any thing but that which is perfect but the second way to manward is unperfect which yet being done in sincerity is sufficient for man that is unperfect and therefore because this later way is so exceeding imperfect both in respect of the perfection of the justice and righteousnesse revealed in the Law as also in respect of the perfection of Gods righteous nature described in the Law that loves nothing but that which is perfect in his sight therefore all those large promises made in the Psalms and Old Testament unto the righteous cannot be understood as the Papists conceive of the Saints inherent righteousnesse because David that had so great a measure of inherent righteousnesse cryed out that by this inherent righteousness shall none be found
ingenuously acknowledge my weaknesse herein This meditation I say being an effectuall meanes to apprehend it deeper and deeper and to encrease thy knowledge and faith in it especially when thou feelest thy conscience pricked and troubled with sinne will even breath the spirit of God and life into thy soule as Paul testifieth saying Received you the spirit by hearing the Law Or by hearing of faith viz. of free Justification preached Gal. 3. 2. And so will be as it were the soule of thy soule to revive thee to eternall life yea thou shalt feele that thy often meditating in this heavenly gift like Naamans seventimes washing of himselfe in the River Iordane will assure thee clearer and clearer that all the spirituall leprosie of thy sinnes is washed away cleane out of Gods sight By which renewing as it were thy Baptisme thou mayst be anew strengthened with the spirituall inward seale of joy and gladnesse Ps 51. 7 8. Neither let thy unworthinesse of so great a benefit deterre thee from taking it because it is given thee freely I say freely that is God respecting no worthinesse in thee to deserve it nor no unworthinesse in thee to hinder thy free taking of it but only pittying thy misery doth give it thee freely to this end to declare the glory of his free Grace and to heale freely all thine unworthinesse and to make thee freely worthy of all the other benefits and blessings of God both temporall and eternall Thus Christian Reader if Christianly passing by all my weaknesses in handling this glorious free benefit yet if thou shalt here finde that the learned Writers collected have said some thing that may edifie thee in thy most holy faith then shall I be well content and fully satisfied Commending thee to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build further I with all my poor endeavours doe wholly rest Thine in true Christian affection JOHN EATON The Contents of this Treatise according to the order of the Chapters CHAP. I. OF the necessity of Free Iustification and of the right and joyfull knowledge thereof shewne 1 Because of Gods extreme hatred of sin 2 Because Iustification is the summe of the Gospel 3. The foundation of the Church both before and since the comming of Christ 4 The strongest Armes against assaults of the Devill pag. 2. 3. infra CHAP. II. OF the nature of Free Iustification as 1 What it is pag. 7 2 Who are capable of this glorious benefit ibid. 3 How it is wrought upon us pag. 20 Three maine things revealed in the word of God concerning sinne pag. 8. infra A pithie opening of the tenne Commandements pag. 11 A fivefold punishment belonging to the least sin pag. 17 That wee are two manner of wayes made righteous p. 22 CHAP. III. OF the parts of Iustification as 1 Of the first part p. 24 2 Of the excellency of this first part described by six Emphaticall Scripture phrases expressing the same where the said Texts are opened and explained p. 29 CHAP. IIII. OBjections against this first part of Iustification especially against the fifth emphaticall Scripture phrase expressing the excellency of this first part of free Iustification answered and the faith thereof described and cleered pag 43 1 The distinction and difference of the Objectors is to bee marked ibid. 2 Their objections from places of Scripture are answered as first Sins we have in us 1 Ioh. 1. 8. and who can say his hart is pure for in many things we sin all Iam. 3. 2. Ergo God who is Almighty and searcheth the hearts and reines seeth them in us Can any thing bee hid out of his sight pag. 47 Secondly He that made the eye shall not he see Psal 94. p. 52 3 God knoweth the sinnes of his justified children infinitly more perfectly than they themselves doe as you your selfe confesse Ergo hee seeth them in them because knowing and seeing are all one in God All which places are fully discussed and cleered Two reasons shewing how knowing and seeing in God may be said to differ p. 68 How God knowes the sinnes of his children and of Reprobates p. 71 CHAP. V. WHerein other Scriptures objected are cleered and answered as 1 That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Heb. 4. 13. p. 73 2 God knoweth our sitting down and rising up and understandeth all our thoughts Psal 139. p. 76 3 Against thee have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Psal 51. 4. p. 80 Paul complaineth of sinne and saith O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me c. Ergo. p. 87 5 If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Ioh 3. 20. p. 88 6 God saw sin in the justified Church of Corinth and punished them for the same 1 Cor. 11. And also in divers of the Churches of Asia Revel 2. 3. Ergo the children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God sees no sinne in them p. 92 7 Paul had remnants of sin in him and prayed thrice against the same that it might depart from him 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Ergo the children of God are not made by Iustification so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God that God sees none in them p. 84 The maine essentiall difference between the Law and the Gospel p 83 How the Iustification of a Church and of a particular man are different p. 92 CHAP. VI. WHerein is contained an answer to the second rank of objections of such examples of David and others as were justified persons and yet God saw and took notice of sin in them and corrected punished some of thē for the same p. 97 A distinction between the time of the Law the time of Ioh. Baptist and the time of Christs death upon the crosse p. 98. infra Two reasons why sinnes were not punished in Iohn Baptists time p. 104 A threefold prerogative of the New Testament p. 110 CHAP. VII COntaining answers to the third rank of objections expressing certaine Reasons proving that the justified children of God are not made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God sees no sin in them as 1 God doth correct with crosses and afflictions yea and punish his justified children for sin ergo p. 120 Where are discussed two severall sorts of crosses 1. Legall 2. Evangelicall p. 121. deinceps Together with the uses of Evangelicall crosses p. 127 3 Scriptures explained p. 129 Twelve Absurdities arising from the confounding of the aforesaid crosses p. 135 CHAP. VIII COntaining answers to three other objected Reasons as 1 If wee bee made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely that God sees no sin in us what need we to pray daily in the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses p. 147. 154 2
clothed with the wedding garment of Christs righteousnesse they are above our reason sense and feeling not only abolished out of Gods sight but also are made perfectly holy and righteous and whiter than snow from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Thus God did know the sinnes of Abraham and left the sense sight and feeling of them to abide to himselfe and before men for which mendid reprove him that hee might live by the faith of Gods power in abolishing them out of his owne sight and not by sense and feeling And yet they were so utterly abolished out of Gods sight and hee was thereby made so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that although men did reprove him as we ought to reprove one another in love yet we read not that God tooke notice of any sinne in him neither did God being so familiar with him once rebuke him in all his life after his calling for any one sinne but did only try and exercise his faith But why did men rebuke him and not God because he was not perfectly holy and righteous to his owne sense and feeling and to menward by his sanctification but was perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne to Godward by justification because he was the patterne and Father of them that are freely made so holy that they are without all fault and without all blame in the sight of God Collos 1. 22 23. So likewise God did know the stingings and poysonous Colos 22. 23. swellings and sorenesse of his people wounded in the Wildernesse with fiery Serpents and yet when by meerely looking upon the Brazen Serpent they were healed hee saw no poysonous swellings and sorenesse in them but saw his new worke of health and strength in them and saw them goe in this health and strength against their enimies And shall not the true substance the Sonne of God Christ Jesus figured by that shadow heale us much more though above our reason sense and feeling and perfectly abolish all the hellish sores and poyson of the fiery Serpent Satan out of Gods sight by making us perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely This being so livelya shadow to teach us the power of the true substance Christ Jesus O let us hold fast the grace so miraculously fignified but more lovingly by his blood exhibited And thus much for the difference betweene Gods Knowing and Seeing of sinne Now let us proceed to other Scriptures objected which may hereby be the more briefly answered CHAP. V. Wherein other Scriptures Objected are cleered and answered AND first concerning that place Heb. 4. 13. Heb. 4. 13. whereat these Objectors doe so much stumble namely That all things are open and naked to Gods eyes c. Which without judgement understanding they hold out like the shield of Achilles strongly against the excellency of free Justification viz. that the childreÌ„ of God are made so perfectly holy and righteous in the sight of God that God doth see no sin in them when as it makes nothing against it but rather for it being rightly understood for it being the Apostles scope in all the third and fourth Chapters to exhort the converted Jewes purged and made pure in the sight of God by Christ alone Heb. 1. 3. unto constancy in faith and threatning and terrifying Heb. 1. 3. the hypocrites among them with feare of Gods revenging eye he tels them throughout the whole Epistle that if they continue sound in the faith embracing Christ constantly as their onely high Priest with the blood of Bulls and Goats Heb. 9. 13. purging them Heb. â— 13. by himselfe and cleansing them with his owne blood then God doth behold them their consciences their bodies their soules their spirits and all made pure and clean in his sight it being open and naked in his sight that Christ hath with that one Sacrifice made all them that are sanctified to bee in his sight by justification perfect for ever Heb. 10. 14. But if they be unbeleeving Heb. 10. 14. hypocrites distrusting Christs purifying and clensing them from all their sins in the sight of God and so falling from Christ by unbeleefe then how hidden and secret soever their unbeleefe and hypocrisie lay for a season and although they seemed to themselves and others never so holy and righteous by the Mosaicall purifyings and legall righteousnesse yet their sins were not abolished out of Gods sight and so all their unbeleefe and hypocrisie whatsoever they thought of themselves and what faire shew soever they made for a time to others yea all their corruption lay open manifest and naked to his eyes with whom in our profession we have trifling dealing with him who would at length in due time bring it to light as being naked in his sight and so would bee revenged of all unbeleefe and hypocrisie This place being all one in effect with that which Paul more fully exprosseth in another place Tit. 1. 15. saying To the pure namely Tit. 1. 15. made pure in the sight of God by justification freely all things are pure their hearts their odâ—sciences their mindes and all are pure in the sight of God because they are made perfectly good trees in the sight of God freely by justification and then cannot chuse but declare the same to the eyes of men by sanctification But to the selfe-deoeiving unbeleeving hypocrites though they thinke never so well of themselves deceiving with a faire appearance and legall zeale and devotion both themselves and others yet nothing is pure but their inward hearts and consciences are defiled and all their good and religious workes are manifest and naked to be in Gods sight abhomination Hag. Hag. 2. 14. Luke 16. 15. 2. 14. Luk. 16. 15. Thus the Apostle giving to all faithfull Ministers a true patterne of right exhortation that is not to mingle and confound the Law and Gospell and so to marre both but to give pure Law to whom the Law belongs and to give true and pure Gospell to whom the Gospell belongs and thus to divide the Word of God aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. for how 2 Tim 2. 15. fearefull a thing is it to say that the sins of Gods repenting and justified children lie naked to Gods eyes and to shew what little sight such objectors have of the horriblenesse of the least sin in the sight of God is notably expressed by that industrious labourer in the Lords Garden speaking of Christs being crucified Perk. upon the Creed naked upon the Crosse and saying thus that Christ was crucified naked came to passe by the goodnesse of God that we might have a remedy for our spirituall nakednesse which is when a man hath his sins lying open before Gods eyes and by reason thereof hee himselfe lyeth open to all Gods judgements so were the Laodiceans blind and naked so the Israelites
himselfe the spirituall worker and Author of them making them in our apprehension correspondent and agreeable to the Almighty nature and glorious working of so wonderfull a workman Fifthly the literall knowledge although it bee never so great doth not change him that is in it but leaves him in his former old nature and corrupt conversation as if he were prophane it leaves him still prophane if he were meerely civill honest it leaves him still meerely civill honest if he were blindly zealous with a legall zeale it leaves him still blindly zealous with a legall zeale of advancing works works and doing as wee may see by the example of S. Paul who before his conversion followed the righteousnes of the Law Rom. 9. 31. and was zealous towards God Act. Rom 9. 31. Aâ—ts 22. 3. 26. 7. 22. 3. serving God instantly day and night Act. 26. 7. And yet was but in this literall knowledge Yea as this literall knowledge findes a man in death and condemnation so it leaves him in death and condemnation saving that it leaves him in greater condemnation than if hee never knew any thing at all Bâ—â— the spirituall knowledge wholy changeth him that is in it and makes him to leave his old corrupt course of life and to live a godly conversation and not only makes him that was prophane or meerly civill to become zealous of Gods glory but also changeth the legall zeale of advancing works into the Evangelicall zeale of advancing Christs benefits and to doe all good duties zealously in meere thankfulnesse for the same because he that by this spirituall knowledge with open face beholdeth as in a looking glasse the glory of the Lord is changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. Sixthly and lastly as the spirituall knowledge discerning the deep things of God counts them and embraceth them as precious and glorious so the literall knowledge resting in the bare letter cannot perceive nor receive the deep things of God that is the excellency of Christs benefits because it counts and rejects them as absurd and foolish yea very foolishnesse it selfe 1 Cor. 2. 14. and because great learning 1 Cor 2 14. The ground of contention and wrangling againstâ—râ—e justification counts it her wisdome to confute that which she takes for foolishnesse hereupon ariseth unfallibly against the preaching of the excellency of Christs benefits strong sophisticating and bold contention because the literall learning being mounted up upon the horse of pride for this knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8. 2. 1 Cor. 8. 2â— And being pricked forward with two spurres the one of envie at her brothers gift of preaching the glory of Christ and the other of vaine glory lest this literall learning loose some of her praise she rusheth out like a warre-horse into the battle of contention and yet layes all the blame hereof upon the preaching of the excellency of Christs benefits yea so strongly doth this literall knowledge judge the excellency of Christs benefits to be meere foolishnesse and thereupon so impudent in contention against the same that Luther upon these words Then is the slander of the â—uther upon Gal. 5. 11. Crosse abolished Gal. 5. 11. proveth with many arguments that Paul taketh it for a most certaine signe that the Gospel of Christ and righteousnesse of faith are not rightly preached and is not the Gospel if it be preached without contention against it for saith hee when the crosse is abolished and the rage of the false Apostles wrangling sophisticating and persecuring ceaseth on the one side and offences and scandals on the other-side and all things are in peace this is a sure token that the Devil keeping the entrie of the house the pure doctrine of Gods Word is taken away Because saith he it cannot be but as long as the Gospel flourisheth the crosse and offence thereof must needs follow it or else truly the Devil is not The Devill rageth against the Gospel rightly levelled at and hit but slightly glanced at but if he be rightly hit indeed he resteth not but beginneth horribly to rage and to raise up by these literall vaine-glorious men all the troubles he can And again notably writeth Luther upon these words but as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit even so is it now whose whole exposition is worthy to be often read of the children of faith the sum and effect whereof is thus This persecution Luther on Gal. 4 29 vers alwaies remaineth in the Church especially when the word of God is powerfully brought to light and the doctrine of the Gospel flourisheth to wit that the children of the flesh mock the children of the promise and persecute them And therefore Paul in this place armeth the godly asore-hand that they should not be offended with these persecutions sects and offences As if he should say if we be the children of the promise and born after the spirit holding that righteousnesse commeth without works meerely by the promise we must surely look to bee persecuted of our brother which is born after the flesh that is after the Law and works and yet shines in the righteousnesse and glorious works of the Law that is to say not only our open enimies which are manifestly wicked shall persecute us but also such as at the first were our deare friends with whom we were in religion familiarly conversant in one house which received from us the true doctrine of the Gospel shall become our deadly enimies persecute us extreamely for they are brethren after the flesh and will persecute their brethren which are born after the Spirit and so raise hurries and molestations Indeed they lay the blame and fault in our doctrine when they themselves are the authors of these troubles and persecutions But because they are perswaded by this literall knowledge that they persecute that which is absurd and but meere foolishnesse they cannot beleeve this that they are the authors of these troubles and much lesse can they beleeve that it is they which murmur rise up and take counsell against the Lord and his annoynted nay rather they think that they maintaine the Lords cause that they defend his glory and doe him acceptable service in persecuting us The reason whereof is this expressed by Luther in other places upon the Galathians speaking against vaine-glory and therefore as worthy the often reading as the former the summe also whereof is thus That such is the nature of these literall and vaine-glorious Ministers of Satan That they can make a goodly shew that they are very charitable humble lovers of concord and are indued with all other fruites of the Spirit also they protest that they seek nothing else but the glory of God and the salvation of mens souls and yet being full of vaine-glory and doing all things to seeme learned and godly and so to get praise and estimation among
us not ignorantly and unwittingly as Isaac but truly and graciously for Christ having thus truly put on Christ himself And this the faithfull Interperters plainly testifie saying Cum dicit Galatas Christum induisse intelligit Christo sic esse insitos ut coram Deo nomen personam Christi gerant ac in ipso magis quam in seipsis censeantur that is Where as the Apostle saith that the Galathians have put on Christ he meanes that they are so ingraffed into Christ that before God they beare the name and person of Christ and are reputed and estimated rather in him than in themselves The second similitude expressing more reall and Husband and wiâ—e entire union than the former is taken from the union not only between ordinary husband and wife but also that we are as substantially and really united into Christ as Adam and Eva who was made of his very rib and thereby truly and really of his flesh blood and bone were one in Paradise for which cause Adam Eva are both called but one Adam Gen. 5. 2. of which Gen. 5. 2. perfect union Adam said thus this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh shee shall bee called woman or as the Hebrew Wâ—rd importes a she-man because she is taken out of man Gen. 2. 23. which mystery S. Paul expounding Gen 2. 23. in the fifth to the Ephes saith thus of Christ and his Church For we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones For this cause shall a man leave his Father and Mother and shall bee joyned unto his Wife and they two shall bee one flesh This saith he is a great mysterie for I speak concerning Christ and his Church Ephes 5. 30 31. 32. Whereupon true and excellent is Ephes 5. 30 31 32. the testimonie of a noble man and Martyr in France who writing of the dignity and excellency of a Christian man sayth thus By this spirituall bond o knot the Christian man is made one with Christ flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone yea even so farre that he beares Christs name and person before God Is not this wonderfull And yet S. Paul not herewith content shewes that the union betwixt Christ and every child of God is more close and entire than between husband and wife for saith he they are not only one flesh But also He that is joyned to the Lord Christ is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. Calvin upon 1 Câ—r 6. 17. 17. Which place Calvin expounding saith thus Hoc ideo adjecit ut doceret arctiorem esse conjunctionem Christi nobiscum quà m viri cum uxore that is Hee therefore addeth these words That he might teach us that the union betwixt Christ and us is closer and straighter than betwixt husband and wife Which Lutâ—er upon Gal. 2. 20. thing Luther also testifieth saying Gal. 2. 20. This faith therefoâ—e that Christ hath loved mee and given himselfe for mee to justifie me doth couple Christ and mee more neer together than the husband is coupled to his wife The third Similitude expressing this marvellous union is that wee are as truly and really united and 3 Tree Branches made one with Christ as a Tree and the branches thereof are one This Christ himselfe testifieth Ioh. 15. 5. saying I am the Vine yee are the branches As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee Upon which words Zanchius truly saith thus Quid etiam hoc Zanch. upon Iohn 15. 5. simili clarius quam nos verè ac realiter Christo insitos esse that is What is more cleere by this similitude than that ' we are truly and really ingraffed into Christ The fourth Similitude expressing this wonderfull union is That wee are as truly and really united and 4 Body members made one with Christ as the body and members thereof are one And this similitude if it were as well understood as it is often expressed in the Scripture wee should abound with more joy for the same than we doe For how plaine is S. Paul 1 Cor. 12. 12. saying As the 1 Cor. 12. 12. body is one and hath many members and yet all the members though they be many make but one body so also is Christ For saith he yee are the body of Christ and members for your part verse 27. Again to the same Cor. 6 15 17. Verse 17. Cor. 6. 15. 17. he saith thus Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Nay more But hee that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit What more perfect and more wonderfull union can there be Than to be one spirit and one body with the Lord Certainly saith Zanchias The union of the members with the head and with themselves is substantiall true and reall Wherby saith hee wee may further understand that the fruit of the passion of Christ and his gifts and graces cannot be received without a real participation of the very flesh of Christ for the members can receive neither motion nor life nor juice nor nourishment being separated from the head And hereupon it is that the ancient Dispensers of Gods mysteries doe so greatly extoll this our concorporation into Christ for thus saith Chrysostome Homil. 60. ad populum Antioch Non satis fuit homosieri colaphis caedi verùm semet ipsum nobis commiscet Chrysost Hom. 6. non fide tantùm verùm et reipsa nos suum efficit corpus that is It was not enough to become man to be buffetted with fists but also he doth mix and mingle his own selfe together with us and not by faith only but also he makes us in very deed his own body Which doctrine of the ancient Fathers of our wonderfull union although the Papists goe about to misapply it and say this great work and union is wrought upon us by the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ in that say they the bread becomes transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ and so wee eating the same the body of Christ is mingled and united into one body with us yet it is well proved of the Learned Protestants to bee utterly false For the Sacrament is not the bond of this so mysticall and wondersull union after so grosse fleshly and carnall a manner but it is wrought only by the holy Ghost after a spirituall and unsearchable manner Who yet notwithstanding because he is true God hiîc exerit and herein doth shew forth the power of his God-head in thus wonderfully knitting and reall and substantiall uniting us into Christ hereupon doe the ancient Fathers confesse that no tongue of men or Angels is able to lay forth sufficiently the reallnesse substantiallnesse and excellency of the same though sealed unto us by an outward sign and figure in the supper of the Lord. For hence it is that
Chrysostome saith again Homil. 61. thus Vnum Corpus sumus membra ex carna ejus ossibus ejus non tantùm hoc per charitatem fiamus Chrysost in Hom. 61. verùm reipsa in illam misceamur carnem that is Wee are one body with him and members of his flesh and of his bones and we are made this not only by love but wee are mingled in very deed into his flesh Christ being desirous thus to shew his uttermostlove upon us Againe in the same place hee saith thus Propterea semet ipsum nobis immiscuit suum in nos Corpus contemperavit ut unum quid efficiamur tanquam Corpus capiti coaptatum ardenter enim amantium hoc est That is For this cause he hath mingled his own selfe into us and hath tempered together his own body into us that wee may be made one same thing with him as the body is conjoyned with the head for this is the manner of such as love ardently Also Calvin saith thus Non solùm individuo societatis nexu nobis adhaeret sed mirabili quadam Communione in unum corpus nobiscuÌ„ coalescit indies magis magis donec unum penitus nobiscum fiat That is Christ cleaveth unto us not only by an unseparable knot of fellowship or friendship but by a certaine wonderfull communion he growes every day more more into one body with us untill at length he be made altogether one thing with us Master Deering Master Deering upon Heb. 2. 11. also upon Heb. 2. 11. testifies As by joynts and sinewes our members bee really knit and made one body to the head so really truly and indeed by one Spirit are we knit into Christ and as perfectly and substantially made one with him as our members are one with our head The fifth Similitude expressing this wonderfull union 5 Graines of Coâ—ne one Loafe into Christ is that we are as truly with all the children of God united and made one with Christ as many graines of corne make one Loafe of Bread and many grapes make one Vine And this is plainly taught by the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 17. saying For we that are many are one 1 Cor. 10 17. bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread and have been all made to drink into one spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. Upon which place the learned Interpreters 1 Cor. 12. 13. say thus Qui ergo Christi corpus accipiunt non multa sunt corpora sed unum corpus For saith Augustine quemadmodum panis ex multis granis unitur c. As one loafe is united together of many graines so that the graines doe not appeare and yet they are graines but joyned together with an uncertaine discerning so are wee joyned one with another into Christ The sixth and last Similitude of this wonderfull union 6 Bread Wine in the Lords Supper becomes one with the receiver Ioh. 6. 56. in to Christ is That we are as truly really and substantially united and made one with Christ as the bread that we eat and the wine that we drink in the Lords supper is made one with us As Christ himself testifieth Ioh. 6. 56. saying Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Whereupon Zanchius truly inferreth saying thus An non substantialiâ—er realiter unitur cibus potus illi qui edit bibit c. That is is not the meat and drink substantially and really united to him that eateth and drinketh Yes certainly so that of the meat eaten and of him that eateth the meat is mâ—â—â— but one substance neither can the meat and drink bring life except they bee united with him that eateth and drinketh it in one substance And therefore he concludes saying Sicut realiter c. As therefore the bread is truly and really united and made one with us that eat it so also truly and in very deed is the flesh of Christ united and made one with us that spiritually eat the same Thus we see how really unsearchably miraculously and wonderfully we are united and made Iustification is the ground and cause of our union with Christ Phil. 3. 8. one with Christ Now that it is our Free Iustification that works and brings this glorious benefit to passe upon us Is most evident and plaine by S. Paul Phil. 3. 8. where the Apostle saith thus Yea doubtlesse I count all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord c. That I may win Christ and be found in him That is be sound united and ingraffed into him but how or by what meanes is this brought to passe he shewes saying By not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Where we see evidently that the true meanes to bee found united into Christ is to be clothed in this rich robe of Christs righteousnesse Hence is the truth of that usuall speech That in Christ wee are pure and cleane from all our sinnes And this also Beza witnesseth plainly in his notes upon this place saying thus This is to be in Christ to bee found not in a mans own righteousnesse but clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto him The Reason hereof â—â— because Christ will have no Reason â—oul leprous members united and made one with him and therefore hee first washeth us in his blood and makes us cleane from all our sinnes and then knits and unites us as fit members into his own selfe The order also and naturall dependencie of these benefits upon one another confirme the same for we cannot bee knit into Christ before we have the holy Ghost dwelling in us the holy Ghost comes not to dwell in us before we be reconciled to God and we are not reconciled to God before we have all our sinnes abolished out of Gods sight But when all our sins are abolished and wee made perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely Then the holy Ghost comes and dwells in us and knits us and unites us as fit members into the blessed body of Jesus Christ then we are by the Wedding-garment alone of Christs righteousnesse made above our sense and feeling fit Brides for so glorious a Bridegroome For saith Augustine Such an head must have condignum corpus a body suteable to it selfe such a Bridegroome must have condignam uxorem non habentem rugam aut maculam as we heard before a Bride agreeable to himselfe not having to God-ward one spot or wrinkle or any such thing Ephes 5. 27. For say the learned Interpreters upon Ephes 5. 27. 1 Iohn 3. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 5. In Christ that is in his body the Church is no sin For say they Non de Christi persona hic agit sed de toto corpoâ—e that is
to the true Christ who hath by Justification by his blood and by his spirit of Sanctification eso wonderfully knit us into his own body That he makes us happy and blessed only in his own selfe alone for ever that we need not to hearken after any false Christ for more happinesse any other way Why Because to assure us that hee doth communicate both himselfe and all his riches unto us he communicates also unto us his very name That as a wife as Calvin saith is intitled with the name of her husband so is the Church and true children of God truly intitled with the name of her husband Christ And again saith he In hoc verò sita est nostra consolatio quod sicut Christus pater unum sunt ita nos cum eo unum sumus Vnde haec nominis communicatio ita Christus that is Herein consisteth our consolation that as Christ and his Father are one so wee are one with him from whence comes this communicating of name so is Christ But the sweetnesse and comfort of this consolatior consisteth herein That as every one is married by his true Justifying faith particularly to Christ so he must apply this union to his own selfe in particular without which it becomes unfruitfull and unprofitable yet not swarving hereby from the former doctrine but a making of that which is generall to all to bee thine own in particular by applying it to thine own selfe in particular Thus did Paul saying I live not now then Paul belike is no Paul but who lives then Christ lives in me that is as Luther expounds it I live not in mine onw person nor in mine own substance but Christ lives in me Indeed saith he the person liveth but not in himselfe and therefore he saith I live not now but Christ lives in me Is est mea forma Hee is my forme more neerly joyned and united to me than the colour or whitnesse to the wall Christ therefore saith Paul thus joyned and united unto mee and abiding in me liveth this life in me which I now live Now Christ living in me I am dead to the Law that is He abolisheth the law to me damneth sin destroyeth death At Christs presence the Law sinne and death doe vanish away For it cannot bee but at his presence all these must needs vanish away for Christ is everlasting Righteousnesse everlasting Peace Consolation and Life and to these sin the terror of the law heavinesse of minde hell and death must needs give place So Christ living and abiding in me taketh away and swalloweth up all evills which vex and afflict mee This union and conjunction then is the cause that I am separated from my selfe and translated into Christ and his kingdome which is a kingdome of grace righteousnesse peace joy life salvation and glory yea by this unseparable union and conjunction which is through faith Christ and I mark this particularity I are made as it were one body in spirit Hence it is for this particular application of applying this close union to our selves in particular did Origen say as we heard before quod per unum Christum fiunt multi Christi that by one Christ there are many Christs because they are transformed to the Image of him who is the Image of God But Luther upon Pauls foresaid application describes the manner of this particular application with fuller demonstration saying thus Quare fides purè est docenda c. Wherefore faith must be purely taught namely that thou art so entirely and neerly joyned unto Christ that he and thou are made as it were one person which cannot be severed but is perpetually joyned together so that thou mayst boldly say Ego sum Christus I am Christ that is to say Christs righteousnesse victory and life are mine And againe Christ may say Ego sum ille peccator I am that sinner that is his sinnes and his death are mine because he is united and joyned unto me and I unto him For wee are so united together by the spirit that wee are become one flesh and one bone For so saith the Apople Ephes 5. Wee are members of the body of Christ of his Ephes 5. flesh and of his bones So that this faith doth couple Christ and me more neere together than the husband is coupled unto his wife The fourth excellent benefit of Free Iustification is 4. Adoption our most glorious adoption whereby wee are made the true sonnes and daughters of the living God Therefore doth S. Iohn say As many as received him namely to justifie them by his blood and death Ioh. â— 1â— To them he gave the prerogative or dignity to be the Sons of God as verily and truly as ever they were the Sonnes and Daughters of their naturall Parents And the Apostle Paul testifieth That Christ hath redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sonnes And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 5 9. also S. Iohn crying out in admiration Gal 4. 5. 6. of this great dignitie saith Behold what love the Father hath shewed towards us that we things of nothing Psal 144. 4. Should be called the Sonnes of God! And Psalm 144 4. now are we the Sonnes of God But it is not made manifest what we shall be but wee know that when he that is the Sonne shall appeare we shall be like him 1 Ioh. 3. 1. 2. 1 Ioh 3. 1. 2. Yea we are so truly made the children of God that we are become also heires of eternall life so saith the Apostle Tit. 3. 7. Wee being justified by his free grace Tiâ— 3. 7. are made heires according to the hope of eternall life and againe Rom. 8. If we be children we are also heires Rom. 8. even the heires of God and fellow or joynt-heires with Christ But neither is this high benefit conferred upon us except we be first justified that is made perfectly holy and righteous by his grace according to that saying of a learned Dispencer of the mysteries of the Gospel which is this If we bee Sonnes then are wee justified in Gods sight freed from sinne and indued with righteousness so fully reconciled unto God seeing the Lord infinite in Iustice would never admit any into such an high degree of favour who were yet polluted in their sins and destiâ—ute Nemo sit hâ—râ—s sautis â—teâ—nae 〈◊〉 sitâ—u 〈◊〉 fide Pic. in Heb. 11. 7. of righteousness Whereunto agreeable is also that saying of Piscaâ—oâ— nemo fit haeres c. No man is made an heir of eternall salvation but first he is made just and righteous by faith Thus God by the meanes of Free Iustification having delivred us from the power of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne hath made us meet to be pratakers of the inheritance
c. Gal. 5. 22. This is the voyce of the Bridegroome and of the Bride that is to say sweet cogitations of Christ wholsome exhortations pleasant Songs and Psalmes praises and thanksgiving whereby the godly doe instruct stirre up and refresh themselves Therefore God loveth not heavinesse and dulnesse Heavinesse must be abandoned and why of spirit he hateth uncomsorrable doctrine heavie and sorrowfull cogitations and loveth cheerfull hearts for therefore hath he sent his Sonne not to oppresse us with heavinesse and sorrow but to cheere up our soules in him Mark what great joy all the Prophets doe prophesie of and even extort at our hands for the first comming of Christ so do the Psalms so doth Christ and so doe his Apostles not only exhorting us but even commanding us to rejoyce Rejoyce thou Daughter of Zion bee joyfull thou Daughter of Ierusalem â—ach 5. for behold thy King commeth to thee Againe for the fruits of his comming Rejoyce yee heavens for the Esay 44. 12 23. Lord hath done it Shout yee lower parts of the earth burst forth into prayses yee mountaines why what is done and wherefore must there be such great joy For I have put away thy sinnes as darkness and thy transgressions as a mist And thus hath the Lord redeemed Iacob and will be glorified in Israel And albeit wee Luth. Seâ—m in Phil. 4. 4. fall sometimes into sinnes which by nature bring sadnesse and sorrow with them yet forasmuch as they cannot bring so much hurt as Christ if we believe in him bringeth power of abolishing them with profit and safety Joy in the Lord ought alwayes to have the first place with us and farre to overcome the sorrow and sadnesse that commeth by reason of our sinnes Hence doth the truly faithfull soule the Bride of Christ burst forth into this extasie saying I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord and my soule shall bee joyfull in my God Why Because hee hath cloathed me with the garments of Salvation What garments are those He hath covered me with the Robes of righteousness he hath decked Esay 61. 10. me as a Bride tireth her selfe with her Iewells Esay 61. 10. And hereupon saith Luther Beholdhow for this knowledge Luth. in Gal. 3. 13. and benefit of Christ to come the Saints of the Old Testament rejoyced more than we now doe when he is so comfortably revealed and exhibited unto us Indeed we do acknowledge that this benefit of Christ the righteousnesse of faith is an inestimable Treasure But wee conceive not thereby such a full joy of spirit as the Prophets and Apostles did Hereof it commeth that They especially Paul doe so plentifully set forth and so diligently teach the Articles of Justification for this is the proper office of an Apostle and of a Minister of the Gospel to set forth the glory and benefits The proper office of a Minister of the Gospel of Christ to the working of this joy and therefore doth S. Paul define a Minister to be but an help to the peoples joy 2 Cor. 1. 24. When such a rejoycing 2 Cor 1. 24. faith possesseth the heart and the Gospel is so received indeed then God appeareth sweet and altogether loving neither feeleth the heart any thing but the favour and grace of God it standeth with a bold and strong confidence Luth. serm in Phil. 4. 4. it feareth not least any evill come unto it it being quiet from all feare of displeasure is merry and glad of so incomparable grace and goodnesse of God given unto it freely and most abundantly in Christ Wherfore there must needs forthwith proceed from such a faith love joy peace gladnesse giving of thanks praise and a certaine marvellous delight in God as in a most deare and favourable Father which dealeth so fatherly with us and poureth forth his gifts so plentifully and in so great measure upon them also which doe not deserve them Behold of such joy Paul speaketh here which â—ruly where it is there can be no place for sin or feare of death or hell yea nothing is there but a joyfull quiet and omnipotent trust in God and in his favour wherefore it is called joy not in gold silver delights singing health knowledge wisedome power glory friendship favour no nor in works holinesse and such like but joy in the Lord wherefore Paul speaketh saying Rejoyce in the Lord alway and againe I say rejoyce Phil. 4. 4. And Peter Phil. 4. 4. testifieth that the faithfull by beleeving did rejoyce 1 Pet. 1. 8. with joy unspeakable and glorious For in this righteousnesse wherein I am made passively righteous I Luthers argument in Galat. have no sin no feare no sting of conscience no care of death for where Christ is truly seene indeed there must needs be full and perfect joy in the Lord. Wherefore if any man feele himselfe oppressed with Luther in Gal. 2. 20. heavinesse and anguish of heart he must not impute it unto Christ although it come under the name of Christ but unto the Devill who oftentimes commeth under the colour of Christ and transformeth himselfe into an Angel of light for if there be any feare or any griefe of conscience it is a token that this passive The cause of feare and sadnesse of heart righteousnesse wherewith I am freely made perfectly holy and righteous is withdrawne that grace is hidden and Christ is darkned out of sight wherefore we must Luther in serm of the lost sheep in Gal. 4. 7. fight against sadnesse and heavinesse of spirit caused by the law and give no place to the Devill who would by the law break up the bride-chamber of Christ and thrust himselfe into his place that is take away from the conscience her joy and comfort whereby he may not bee able cheerfully to lift up his heart and head before God ever remembring that the Kingdome of heaven into which we by our effectuall calling are translated as the Bride of Christ into his bride-chamber is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Rom. 14. 17. Fourth Effect Good judgement right discerning of all spirits The fourth effect or fruit declaring the utility of Free Iustification is that it worketh a good judgement and right discerning of all Religions works and worships to the utter overthrowing of all Superstitions Sects and Schismes and doth reduce people from their contentious and dangerous by-paths and doth rectifie their blinde legall zeales mentioned Rom. 10. 3. Rom. 10. 3. declining to sundry Sects and contentious opinions and brings them to the pure and sincere worship of God in spirit and truth that is in one faith only and one Baptisme Ephes 4. 2. to 6. unto which they Ephes 4. 2. to 6. cannot be wonne but by understanding the excellency of Free Iustification and how compleat they are made by it alone before God Colos 2. 10. but will be carried Colos 2. 10. away
of Christian Religion the head Article of salvation the sole-saving grace of Christ the cause of sanctification and of all godly living the advancer of the true glory of Christ but yet because by this literall knowledge of it they feele not the truth and power thereof in themselves therefore whose feet doe such labour to fasten upon this strong Rock of Christian Religion whose house of Religion almost is not builded upon the sands of their repentance and holy walking having this rocky foundation laid in their hearts no more in a manner than the Papists lay it whose Religion is not headlesse for want of sound joy for this head point of salvation how many are truely sanctified and serve God cheerfully joyfully and zealously by the joyfull knowledge of it yea rather although such seeme to hold strongly contrary to Papists yet they are in this chiefe point of salvation of the Papists mindes comming forth with the Papists objections against it that people learne it too fast and although it be the only sacred ordinance that God in his high wisedome hath appointed to be the only cause and meanes to make men to live truely a godly life yet such stick not in their rotten wisedome of Reason to belch out this blasphemy that it opens the gate to all loose and wicked living and are so farre from continually pressing this point by shewing the horriblenesse of the least sin in the sight of God and the excellency of this benefit perfectly healing us from all sin in Gods sight and so planting it soundly in mens hearts to effect these happy ends that almost they never speake of it but finde themselves grieved with them that doe or if their text chance to presse them to it they lightly touch it and soone passe it over being as it were glad when that text is past Is this to keepe to those foresaid most glorious Titles of the excellency of Free Iustification which they so gloriously professe in words and is it not rather before God and men a Three sorts be in this Iâ—terall knowledge 1 Prop ane 2 Civill denying them in deeds and thus doe they in all the rest for these that are in this literall knowledge first either they live prophane lives or secondly but outwardly civill honest lives caring no more than for their profits honours and pleasures or thirdly at 3 〈◊〉 â—â—alo â— the best which is worst of all doe but delude the simple blinde devoted people with a legall zeale of holy walking for feare of punishment or hope of reward and speeding well for the same seeming yea and being as hot as a toste against outward vices and earnestly calling for all active morall duties which they call holy walking in all Gods Commandements as if herein did consist the maine point of salvation Doe this and live and yet abound themselves with all These last are inwardly most abomiâ—able manner of inward hidden corruptions as envy calumniating slavish feare and glorious outward painting of their rotten old Adam All which is notably testified by the Doctrine of our Church taught by the Martyrs and first Restorers of the Gospel in this Land saying thus By outward shewes of good workes they appeare to the world How the most religious and holy men of all others making the outside of the cup and platter that is the outward appearance both of their persons and vocations so cleane that they seeme to the world What most perfect men Wherein so perfect both in teaching and living And yet because the inside is not cleane which as it is shewed in the Sermons before only the comfort and joy of Free Iustification truely worketh and effecteth Christ who sees their hearts not justified with his owne righteousnesse knowes that they are in the sight of God most unholy most abominable and farthest from God of all men their judgement being preposterous their doctrine sowre leven of mingling the Law and the Gospel together and so marring both and their life the hidden secret hypocrisie that is not suspecting themselves of hypocrisie they delude their owne selves with supposed sincere hearts respecting as they thinke only Gods glory being inwardly full of all manner of filth as pride envy covetousnesse ambition vaine-glory hatred disdaine unbeleefe conceitednesse of themselves contempt of those whom they like not calumniating them and such like and yet as I said so adorning and painting their old Adam that reignes in them with such a fair outward new coate not of Christs righteousnesse able utterly to abolish their corruptions freely from before God but of their owne righteousnesse that they seeme not only unto others but also to their owne selves in all respects admirable and excellent men and such were they that because they excelled in great learning and were zealous towards God Rom. Rom. 10. 2. 10. 2. in following righteousnesse by holy walking in all Gods Commandements Rom. 9. 31. serving Rom. 9. 31. God instantly day and night Acts 26. 7. said hereupon Acts 26. 7. unto Christ in the high conce it of their literall knowledge Are we blinde also Iohn 9. 40. unto whom Christ Iohn 9. 40. answering said If ye were blinde ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sin remaineth vers 41. And thus much of the description of the literall Veâ—sâ— 41. knowledge whereby men only sophisticating about the mysteries of Christ would be Doctors and Teachers of the Word but by not understanding what they say nor whereof they affirme 1 Tim. 1. 7. they neither in 1 Tim. 1. 7. word nor deed keepe to that which they seeme to hold but speake flat contraries But on the other side the spirituall knowledge 2 Thespirituall knowledge and right illumination by the true spirituall learning whereof the Prophet thus speaketh saying And they shall be all taught of God is likewise that we may not be babes in the knowledge of it as largely described by the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. from verse 9. to the very end of the Chapter also saying thus the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither have entred into the heart of man are they which God hath prepared for them that love him But will some say if they 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. be such things as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor have entred into the heart of man what is any man the better for such things true saith the Apostle not into the heart of the naturall man verse 14. but yet God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God for saith he what man knowes the things within a man save the spirit of man which is in him even so the things of God knowes no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God but the naturall man or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man endued only with a meere humane soule perceiveth not nor receiveth the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse Verse 14. unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned and so forth to the end of the Chapter out of which two descriptions both of the literall knowledge before expressed and of the spirituall knowledge he hath so largely described by the Apostle let us because to discerne these two knowledges the one from the other is a point of great moment the one being but a condemning knowledge making our damnation only the greater and the other being a true saving knowledge let us I say for further perspicuity and cleerenesse herein marke some maine and principall differences whereby they may be discerned the one from the other wherein for brevities Sixe maine differences betweene the literall and the true spirituall knowledge 1 sake I will only briefly touch these sixe following First the spirituall knowledge apprehends the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart of naturall man can conceive that is it conceives the mysteries of God above reason yea and contrary to naturall reason sense and feeling but the literall knowledge apprehends not the mysteries of God but after a carnall manner as they are new-fashioned as it were and made agreeable to reason sense and feeling and hence come so many objections from reason sense and feeling Secondly the literall knowledge doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2. 18. but it doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2. 12. that is the Rom. 2. 18. literall knowledge so knowes the mysteries of Gods Word as a man knowes a thing by reading of it or 1 Coâ— 2. 12. as a man knowes a thing that is told him of a strange Countrey but he hath no experimentall certainty of it in himselfe whereby it is true in such that is Matth 13. 14. written Matth. 13. 14. by hearing ye shall heare but not understand and by seeing ye shall see and not perceive but the spirituall knowledge doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is so knowes the mysteries of Christ as he knowes a thing that sees it with his very eyes and hath experimentall feeling of it in his owne selfe so that hee that is in the literall knowledge only is like a man that lying in the morning in his bed and hearing that the day is broke and peradventure seeing a little at the holes and crevisses of his windowes may talke of the day light and of the actions of the day light to be done in the same but because his windowes and doores are close shut he still without doing any thing lies in darknesse when as he that is in the spirituall knowledge is like one that is abroad in the open cleer morning working and walking by the light of the same Thirdly the literall knowledge being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the literall knowledge doth know as it were by heare-say many things by which they think themselves rich and encreased in goods and have need of nothing but it doth not see the deep things of God whereby they are raysed up to no joy and zeale for the deepnesse and greatnesse of the same but the spirituall knowledge doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2 10. see the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. that is as Bezâ— well expoundeth it excellentiam Evangelicae Doctrinae the excellency of the benefits of the Gospel working joy and zeale of Gods glory by discerning the greatnesse and excellency of the benefits wrought upon us from whence flowes the cold and formall working of great learned Clerks making a shew of doing something and think in their own hearts that to proceed any further is needlesse when they that are in the spiritual knowledge do think both that there is need and also that they can never doe enough Fourthly the literall knowledge judgeth of the mysteries of the Gospel by the Spirit of the world that is after an humane witted fashion saying the same thing that the spirituall enlightened child of God doth as farre as naturall reason and humane wit can reach but pulls down Gods thoughts in the mysteries and benefits of the Gospel and makes them like unto mans thoughts for whereas the Spirit of God useth by certain humane phrases and similitudes to descend down to our weak capacity not to the intent that wee should dwell in them but that we should as it were by a ladder reached downe to Why the holy Ghost speaketh in humane phâ—asâ—s us ascend up to the heigth and excellency of Gods working and dealing upon us correspondent to the glory of his great majesty they that are in tâ—is literall knowledge doe stick fast in the humane phrase as it were in the foot and first step of the Ladder but ascend not to the greatnesse and excellency of the work of God correspondent to the greatnesse and excellency of his Majesty whereby they hold fast to those phrases that are correspondent to humane reason and to good humane wit but cannot abide to have those humane phrases reduced and understood according to other Phrases expressing in the same case the true nature and excellent working of God above reason and passing those humane similitudes and so compare and flatly measure spirituall things with earthly things because as a learned Dispencer of Gods mysteries saith habent literam sed non habent spiritum whereby they can say in the mysteries benefits of Christ Sibboleth but not Shibboleth Iudg. 12. 6. That Iudg. 12. 6. is they come very neere the truth and are as Christ said to the young man not farre from the kingdome of heaven but they cannot frame to pronounce the asperate that hath God in it that is they cannot yeeld to the truth and mysterie correspondent to the nature and perfect working of God for that is foolishnesse unto them 1 Cor. 2. 10. But on the other side â— Cor. 2. 10. they that are in the spirituall knowledge have received not the Spirit of the world to judge worldly carnally and after an humane witted fashion of the mysteries and benefits of the Gospel but have received the Spirit which is of God that they may see after a spirituall manner the things freely given of God that is correspondent to the high nature perfect operation and glorious working of God whereby although they gladly use the similitudes and humane representations in the Scriptures as an help to their weak capacities yet they stick not in them but ascend by them as it were by steps to the high working of God above all humane representations and earthly excellencies not comparing or measuring spirituall things with earthly things but measuring spirituall things as the Apostle saith with spirituall yea even with â—od